Over the years I have coached and educated tens of thousands of people. This includes my time spent teaching high school, working as a lab instructor in university, presenting at conferences as well as working in a fitness setting with everyone from business professionals to elite athletes. And you know what? There is a common thread unifying all of the ones who have had the greatest success. This common thread is that they made a mental commitment to do what it takes to realize success. They bought into the plan and made the sacrifices to realize their goal. Their efforts were symbolic of a direction rather than a destination. And the success they have enjoyed has spilled over to other areas of their life and given them the confidence to succeed at whatever they choose. I believe it may have have been the basketball coach Bobby Knight who said, 'everyone wants success but not everyone wants to work for success'. Until we decide we want to work for success we are subconsciously resisting our potential for success.
The second item that must be present for success is to eliminate negatives. In a fitness setting we want to ensure all the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and muscles interact optimally. As soon as we detect an alignment issue we use the best methods available to clean up the deficiency and restore proper function. If we do not take the time to address and correct these issues then the chance of injury increases and the effectiveness of our workouts decreases. It would not make sense to continue adding load to the bar during our workouts if we noticed an alignment issue, or worse pain, during the movement. We must eliminate what is wrong first before proceeding towards our goal.
Another way of looking at this is from a nutritional perspective. Many realize the importance nutrition plays in achieving optimal health and performance. Look first to see if there are any negatives you can remove from your nutritional plan before you add something. Are you eating fast food and trans fat? Do you drink soda or any form of high-fructose-corn-syrup? Do you drink enough water? Do you eat enough fiber? Do you eat before and after very workout? Do you have fish at least three times a week? Depending on your answers to these there may be some things that can be eliminated from the diet to improve your health before you seek something to add.
Recipe of the Week
Grilled Turkey and Vegetable Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 package JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE® Roast Turkey Breast Tenderloin, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces
1 (about 1/2-pound) dark orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces
8 medium whole mushrooms
1 cup red onion, cut into wedges and slices separated
Heat grill to medium heat. In medium microwave safe bowl combine sweet potato pieces and water. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook in microwave on HIGH heat for 2 to 2 ½ minutes or until potatoes are slightly tender. Drain water. In medium bowl combine potatoes, mushrooms, red onion, and green pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and salt; toss to coat.
On kabob skewers, thread turkey tenderloin pieces and vegetables alternatively.
In small bowl combine marmalade, Dijon and rosemary; mix well. Set aside.
Grill kabobs 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is desired doneness and vegetables are tender. Brush kabobs with marmalade glaze. Grill 1 to 2 minutes more; turning once.
Serve with Suggestion: Cooked Brown Rice
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 240 Protein: 20g Carbohydrates: 36g Cholesterol: 35mg Sodium: 810mg Total Fat: 3.5g Fiber: 4g
Passport to Health and Fitness
Don't Let A Friend Fly Solo
Collect Your Gifts: When we receive your referrals, we'll send you a thank you gift to let you know how much we sincerely appreciate the trust you have placed in us by referring a friend, associate or family member. With every referral you will also be entered into a drawing for our Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly travel get away prizes.
Simply click here or log on to www.ftpassport.com to enter your friends and family members to receive a complimentary introductory session and free gift when they com in for their session. Passports are also available in the studio, for you convenience.
Quotes of The Week!
"When everything seems like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top"
Anon
8 Tips for Eating Out
Chris Collins
1. Eat your calories and drink water. The first question you are always asked upon being seated in a restaurant is what you would like to drink. Choose water and pass on the high-fructose-corn-syrup, sugar, preservatives, caffeine and extra calories found in most beverages.
2. Take half home. We are annoyed when restaurants don’t over serve us and restaurants have responded accordingly by over supplying huge portions. Italian restaurants are the worst culprits. Order a regular meal but eat half and get half to go. To resist the temptation to finish everything have the server package the remaining half at the same time the rest of the meal is brought out.
3. Pretend you are the Mercedes Benz of human machines. Top end vehicles require the best fuel and so should you. Pass on the value items and what appears to be a deal. Ever notice that salads and fruit platters are never the daily specials?
4. Look for key terms that describe how the meal was prepared. Good options include grilled, steamed, poached, broiled or roasted but pass on those that that are battered, deep fried and accompanied by sauces and dips.
5. Pass on the grains. You can get all the carbohydrates you need from fruits and vegetables. Just because bread is brought to the table doesn’t mean you have to eat it.
6. Pass on the buffets. We are usually full up to 20 minutes before we recognize the feeling of fullness. Having unlimited amounts of food available to you makes it nearly impossible to prevent overeating. No one brings a scale to the restaurant and we eat based on portion size. If the portion size is infinite we are going to overeat.
7. Order local. Food that comes from a particular region will be fresher, have more nutrients and add to the traveling experience by trying something new. When in coastal environments consider ordering fish and seafood. In Mexico try some of the various peppers to add flavor and anti-inflammatory benefits. Find out what is produced locally and then try it.
8. Order off the menu. Don’t feel that asking for some grilled chicken and mixed greens is an unreasonable request.
Better Together: Training + Nutrition:
Introducing Nutrition Together. Now, in addition to one-on-one personal training, your Fitness Together program inculdes personalized nutritional counseling to help you eat right and support your fitness goals.
